Oh, 24 ... the show that maniacally glued many people to their television sets through real-time terror. Jack's done a lot since protecting Senator David Palmer in the first season. Aside from saving the world from evil threats over and over, he was supposed to jump into a big-screen flick nestled between the sixth and seventh seasons. That never surfaced, so instead, DVD Active reports that fans are getting a straight-to-DVD pseudo-feature called 24: Exile.

Looking like more of a feature-length episode prequel, Exile will be released on the 25th of November. Acting as a bridge between the seasons, the prequel follows Bauer as he works as a missionary in Africa. The US government is after him, and he's also been tapped to stop a warlord from drafting innocent children. "But first, Bauer must confront his own torturous past and face an impossible decision that will change his life forever." That man has a rough life. Will it ever end?

Maybe when it does, we'll get the feature film, but for now, there is just this 2-hour DVD prequel. Oh, and for you uber impatient fans out there -- one of the many special features of the disc will be the first 16 minutes of the new season, set to air in 2009.

Last time we talked about 24: The Movie, Kim was wondering when they'd actually have the time to start production on the thing -- and this was last June! But now with 24's sixth season only a few short hours away, the press has been all giddy for Jack Bauer. In a recent interview with Zap2It.com, Mr. Bauer (well, Kiefer Sutherland, actually) makes three things perfectly clear:

1. This new season is gonna be, like, awesome.

2. There WILL be a 24 movie, trust him.

3. Production on the film will begin during the next series hiatus -- OR the one after that, which means we shouldn't expect the thing to hit theaters until at least mid-2008. (Good thing we have the TV series to keep up satiated.)

I don't mind the wait, frankly, if it means that we get a weekly installment of 24 that's up to par with previous seasons. Sure, sure the show gets a little silly sometimes (and you really can sense the writers "running in place" from time to time), but for my money 24 is still the most exciting show on TV right now. (Deal or No Deal is a close second; those prize girls make my knees weak.) If the writers and producers need to clear their collective plate before focusing on the 24 movie, that's just fine by me. It's not like we have any shortage of action flicks these days.

And hell, how long has it taken for The Simpsons Movie to become a reality? Patience is a virtue, movie fans, especially when you're dealing with something of quality.

Plus, Sutherland is so gracious and sincerely grateful to all the show's fans, I find it kinda hard to get all petulant and scream "Gimme the damn movie already, Kief!!" As long as the series keeps nailing me to my couch once a week, I can be exceedingly patient where the movie's concerned.

A few other odds and ends of interest today:

• Oscar nominee David Strathairn has been added to McG's untitled movie about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed much of the Marshall University football team. Strathairn, who is expected to play the university president, joins Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox in the cast.

• According to its director, Anthony Hopkins' previously-announced Papa (in which the actor was to play his doppelganger Ernest Hemingway) has been pulled. Roger Donaldson, who just directed Hopkins in The World's Fastest Indian, claims that the movie never even got to pre-production: "There were too many problems with the rights and the financing, and the schedules mean it won't happen."

• Moviehole reports the totally unsubstantiated rumors that Kiefer Sutherland has a contract with Fox for not one, not two, but three whole 24 movies, the first of which will start shooting some time next year. Oh, and Bruce Willis wants to be in it. If either story turns out to be true, we'll let you know.